From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #431 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Thursday, August 23 2001 Volume 01 : Number 431 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 15:42:57 -0600 From: "bob/bernice hughes" Subject: Re: [AML] Sunstone 2001 I did make it to a couple of sessions. The poetry session of Michael Collings was very nice. I think there were four of us at his session (confirming that poetry is a lost art, but at least there are a few of us poetry lovers left). He presented his most recent book _Elementals_ and had a few copies for sale. As with his earlier books, this one was handbound by himself with a beautiful cosmology motif cloth as the book covering. The sonnets that made up the book (and the reading session) focused heavily on early writings by mormon scientists (e.g. Widtsoe) and although he avoided end-of-line rhymes in the sonnet sequences, the lines were filled with alliteration and assonance. You could sense some of the dark side of Stephen King's influence in some of the verse (Collings is one of the most authoritative critics of King), but the beauty of the overall work outshone any darkness that tried to creep in. The other session was with Holly Welker presenting a chapter from her Iowa dissertation, which was basically her Taiwan missionary memoir. I thought from the abstract that she would talk a bit more about Taiwan and Buddhism (two of my other loves) but it ended up being a feminist complaint session. (BTW, Holly is also a poet, you will find some of her work in BYU Studies). Bob Hughes - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 16:54:50 -0600 From: luannstaheli Subject: Re: [AML] Screenwriting I've written three film scripts (2 LDS and one horror/suspense) and had several Hollywood producers look at them, but nothing has sold yet. My husband works in the business or I likely wouldn't have had so many options to even have them read. It's a tough business to break into. I also met with the Church film committee and introduced myself as a writer, but no sales there either. So, I've gone back to concentrating on the mainstream YA novels I'm writing. Good luck with whatever you decide, but know that no area of the writing business is a sure thing to immediate publication/sales. Darvell Hunt wrote: > I have recently decided to seriously consider shifting my focus from novel > writing to screenwriting. - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 18:32:15 -0500 From: Ronn Blankenship Subject: Re: [AML] Screenwriting At 02:03 PM 8/20/01, you wrote: >I have recently decided to seriously consider shifting my focus from novel >writing to screenwriting. I definitely watch more movies than read books >and I think there may currently be a good opportunity to break into this >market right now. > >Awhile back I took a screenwriting/novel writing course from Dave Trottier >at UVSC and have since ordered his book _The Screenwriter's Bible_. With >Richard Dutcher, and hopefully others paving the way, the market for >regular LDS films could very well be on the rise. I'd like to contribute >what I can to this new medium. > >Is anyone else on the list doing this sort of thing? I'd like to learn more >more about writing scripts. I'd like to convert my current novel into a >screenplay. > >I would welcome any suggestions that anyone could offer on this matter. And >before you ask, no, this is not just a whim, I've considered doing this for >many years. But, like I've stated in other posts to the AML list, I didn't >really want to get into the mainstream market. >Now I might have the chance to write screenplays for the LDS market. I >don't think I can pass that up. > >Thanks, >Darvell Hunt >Saratoga Springs, UT Yes, several of us here on the AML list have written screenplays or otherwise done things in the film and/or video area, with various levels of success. ;-) If Jonathan will permit me, I might mention that there is another list, called "LDScreenwriters" devoted to this topic. If anyone's interested, send a blank message to . (If that's not clickable, do the usual cut-and-paste into the "To:" field of a blank e-mail message.) - --Ronn! :) - --------------------------------------------------------- I always knew that I would see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed that I would see the last. --Dr. Jerry Pournelle - --------------------------------------------------------- - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 16:36:34 -0600 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: [AML] Sheri Dew interview questions [MOD: Because of the tight timeframe on this, I encourage anyone responding to this post to include a cc: to Chris Bigelow at Chris.Bigelow@UnicityNetwork.com.] If you have time and interest, I would love some feedback on the following draft of an invitation and questions to Sheri Dew for an Irreantum interview. Let me know if you can think of any additional good questions and/or have any suggestions for how to refine or streamline what I've already got. I will mail this to her on Monday, 8/27, so only responses received by then will be helpful. Thanks in advance! Chris Bigelow The Association for Mormon Letters P.O. Box 51364 Provo, UT 84605-1364 (801) 714-1326 * irreantum2@cs.com August 24, 2001 Sheri Dew Deseret Book P. O. Box 30178 Salt Lake City, UT 84130 Dear Sister Dew: Greetings from the Association for Mormon Letters, the nonprofit organization devoted to analyzing and promoting quality Mormon literature. Irreantum, our quarterly literary magazine, has published a series of interviews ranging over the full cultural spectrum, including Robert Van Wagoner, Brian Evenson, Robert Kirby, Mary Clyde, Dave Wolverton, Richard Dutcher, Margaret Young, Anne Perry, Rachel Nunes, and Dean Hughes. We would like to invite you to be the subject of our next interview. We've attached a list of questions for you to consider answering. We normally conduct our interviews via e-mail, so we would invite you to type your responses and e-mail them to us. Our interviewees have enjoyed this less-intrusive, low-pressure mode because it allows them to be more thoughtful in their responses and to rewrite or edit, luxuries that aren't available in face-to-face verbal interviews. You are certainly welcome to change or skip any questions. If you agree to the interview, here are two more things to consider: 1) We would ask for one or more recent photos we could select from to run with the interview. 2) If you have any pieces of your own writing that we could run as a companion piece to the interview, that would be most welcome. Our first choice would be memoir or fiction, but we would be happy to consider anything else, including works in progress. We look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this interview. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thanks in advance for your consideration. Best Regards, Christopher K. Bigelow Managing editor, Irreantum Irreantum Questions for Sheri Dew First, tell us what your position is at Deseret Book and what you do. What are the most fun, rewarding things about your job, and what are the most difficult and mundane? Tell us about how you got into publishing. What early experiences and education helped prepare you? What encounters and opportunities led to your career? You've done some writing yourself, most notably the biography of President Gordon B. Hinckley. What else have you published? What are your personal feelings and experiences related to the actual writing process? Do you have any current writing projects? Any future hopes and plans for your own writing? Talk to us about yourself as a reader. Is a busy book editor able to find time and energy to read outside the job? If so, what kinds of things? What authors have made the biggest personal impact on you? What role would you ideally like to see fiction and other creative, artistic writing play in Mormon culture? To what degree are the creative literary arts currently living up to their potential in Mormonism? Trace for us what you know about the history of fiction publishing at Deseret Book. What have been some of the biggest disappointments and successes? Is the company currently decreasing, increasing, or maintaining its fiction output? What can you tell us about the company's fiction strategy? Let's talk more about the relatively recent phenomenon of Mormon historical fiction becoming so popular. What are the good results of that, and what concerns you about it, if anything? What do you think about this fiction's teaching value, entertainment value, and literary quality? Covenant Communications has built a fairly dynamic, successful fiction-publishing program. What are your observations about their efforts? How has the competition affected the marketplace? Some people long for another independent Mormon book publisher to colonize the temperate territory between the tropics of Deseret and Covenant and the pole of Signature. Such a publisher would perhaps try to avoid both elitist literary books and formulaic or genre books. Does such an outlook fit into any kind of paradigm for Mormon publishing you can conceive of? Could such a venture be successful? What directions would you like to see Mormon fiction go in the future? Any particular genres you think are ripe for treatments within the Mormon market? What would be your idea of the "Great Mormon Novel"? Would Deseret Book be the place to publish it? Why or why not? You've been involved in trying to move Deseret Book's product into the national marketplace, particularly through the Shadow Mountain imprint. To what degree is fiction a part of that program? What have been the most noteworthy challenges and successes in that effort? Let's talk about the role of the creative literary arts as it relates to the mission of the Church. As far as "proclaiming the gospel," what do you think about efforts to present Mormon stories to a national audience? Must such attempts be missionary-minded, or is it valid to portray the Mormon experience with an emphasis on accuracy and realism, with hopes that people will grow in appreciation of us as fellow human beings? Should Mormon fiction writers be trying to gain the trust and respect of national audiences so that readers with diverse backgrounds can develop interest in Mormon-flavored stories, as they have in Jewish, Catholic, Southern, Asian, and many other kinds of "ethnic" stories? As far as "perfecting the Saints," what role can literature play in helping us understand and avoid pitfalls in life? With that goal in mind, is it advisable to take morally challenging journeys through literature? Should Mormon fiction examine flaws and limitations within the Mormon culture and within Mormon individuals? >From your perspective, what are some of the most interesting trends happening right now in Mormon publishing? What are your predictions for the future? # - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 18:21:48 -0600 (MDT) From: katie@aros.net Subject: RE: [AML] Writing About "Good" Mormons > I was asking if Weyland or anyone else has > ever > written about the reverse (nonmember guy meets Molly Mormon and converts > to > marry her), because I don't think anyone as yet has mentioned a story > with > _that_ plot. If not, does anyone have a guess why the one formula sells > > _as fiction_ and the other doesn't? > > > > --Ronn! :) > _Trial of the Heart_, by Sierra St. James. Deseret Book, 1999 or so. I posted a review on it a couple of years ago, now available in the review archives, if anyone cares... I didn't see the situation there very plausible, either. Maybe more plausible than some of those early Weyland pieces, but at the end the guy has a dream and he realizes that he really wants to get baptized and marry this girl and raise lots of screaming kids and be really poor, instead of keeping his current lifestyle and his share in the lucrative family wine business. Must've been some dream. - --Katie Parker - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 18:29:55 -0600 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] Irreantum fiction contest winners At 06:08 PM 8/16/01 -0600, you wrote: >the >people around me are not readers and writers and, when >I'm looking for congratulations, they smile >indulgently and say they are glad I'm enjoying my >"little hobby." I appreciate so much the chance to >turn on the computer and feel like I'm among friends >who understand me. As a business owner, I have the same experience--"How nice that you have a cute little business." Well, I suppose we all have attitudes that annoy other people. I was recently back home on vacation, and I couldn't believe that my siblings could spend three solid hours talking about their dogs. Dogs! And they didn't understand why I didn't want their hairy, slobbery pets leaping up on me. I'm just glad that we all have the right to our own opinions. barbara hume - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 19:40:45 -0600 From: BJ Rowley Subject: Re: [AML] LDS Booksellers Convention D. Michael Martindale wrote: >I seemed to keep running into author B.J. Rowley the whole time. He's >got a new book out that sounds pretty interesting. He'll have to tell >you the title, because I don't remember it, but it's about a girl who >just missed the prom because her 16th birthday came days after it. She >discovers a way to go back in time, so she returns to prom night now >that she's old enough to attend. > It's called "Sixteen In No Time." It's actually a Time-Warp thing, not a Time-Travel thing. Subtle difference. The girl and her friend age for four days while the world is advancing a mere four minutes. So it looks like time has stopped ... almost. That's how she manages to be 16 in time for the Prom. (if they can convince the folks.) The trick with this book was writing it from a girl's point of view ... VERY tricky business for an old geezer like me. And very scary after all the talk on this list about men writing women's roles, and visa versa. The jury's still out on how well I did. (I printed up a half dozen copies of the manuscript and had all the Mia-Maids in the ward review it. They were quite honest and brutal with their suggestions ... which was a good thing, I guess.) > >I spoke at length with Barry Evans of Evans Book, a wholesale >distributor which concentrates on national distribution of LDS books and >products, and has done a lot with self-published books. Whenever someone >has a dream of doing something new, and wants to bypass the usual >conservative, cautious channels to get it done, the big bottleneck is >always distribution. My impression was that, if you have a product like >a self-published book or something, Evans Book might be a good >distributor to check out. > I'll put a plug in here for Evans Book, since they just happen to be my distributor. They have been wonderful to work with, and really a God-send for a self-published author. They have taken all the warehousing and distribution headaches off my hands. They don't do much marketing for me, but they HAVE been helpful with getting me in such places and Barnes and Noble, Media Play, Waldens, DB, etc. (still working on Wal-Mart. Costco was a no-go. oh well.) They also allow me to put my color flyers in their monthly mailings whenever I want, which gets quality promotional materials in the hands of virtually every LDS bookstore out there. It's been a good experience. I highly recommend them. - -BJ Rowley - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 20:49:54 -0500 From: Diann T Read Subject: [AML] Re: Spiritual Pornography - --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Read Diann T Maj HQAIA/DSG Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 14:06:55 -0500 Subject: (U) Response to Tony Tony (and AML List), While there were a number of points in your piece on "spiritual pornography" that I agreed with completely, I'm truly hoping that you were taking the role of devil's advocate to a new extreme when you stated that you were sufficiently offended by the cover of a recent issue of the Ensign that you would not renew your subscription. On the off-chance you were actually serious, may I offer the following? So the photo of the "choir" on the cover was obviously staged. Most cover photos are. *So what?* There comes a time when necessity and practicality have to take precedence over "art." Waiting around for an elusive "perfect" candid shot simply isn't conducive with meeting publishing deadlines. But that's beside the point. I think you need to keep a few things in mind before you make the Ensign staff (or the producers of "Testaments," for that matter) "offenders for a word." First off, *nothing* in this world, no matter how skillfully rendered, is going to compare with the glory and perfection of God and His works. In this life we're mortal, we're finite, we're imperfect; it simply "comes with the territory." All anyone can do is his or her best, no matter what that is. We're *not* going to achieve perfection in this life--but we do have the obligation, I believe, to always try to improve our talents, to seek to do better with each attempt. Even the writers of the Book of Mormon recognized their imperfections and apologized for flaws that resulted because of their weaknesses. Do Nephi's or Moroni's human weaknesses "cheapen" the Book of Mormon for you? I have a hard time accepting the idea that something as simple as a staged photo "cheapens" the concept the photo was intended to illustrate. To me, the *intent* of the artist/writer/musician is what "cheapens" or elevates a work, much more than the skill she or he brings to the work. If the intent of a photograph, for example, is to merely titillate or arouse, it's porno, regardless of how technically "perfect" it is in composition, lighting, or the beauty of its subjects. I think you're reading too much--or more likely too little--into things like magazine covers and Church films. I've heard people criticize the temple films the same way, and I'll say to you now the same thing I say to them: These things were not intended to be masterpieces by the aesthetic standards of the world. They're teaching aids, no more, no less. I can't help but feel sorry for people who are so critical of what they perceive as weaknesses that they're blinded to the intended message. Diann Read - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 02:18:12 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) From: Amelia Parkin Subject: Re: [AML] Writing About "Good" Mormons I've attached Konnie Enos's message about writing about "good Mormons", or rather about Mormon women entering relationships with non-Mormon men, below. Just wondering if this shouted out to anyone else. Seems to me that if this is true (don't think it necessarily is--I know both versions of this scenaria, i.e. Mormon women who have introduced boyfriends to church and they have joined and Mormon women who have left the church for men), it says much more about the nature of male/female relationships and power dynamics in general than it does about conversion stories. why is it that men successfully convert women and women do not successfully convert men? In either situation (Mormon man converts non-Mormon woman or Mormon woman fails to convert non-Mormon man and subsequently becomes less-active) the woman gives. We readily see the loss (hate to call it that) when a Mormon woman leaves the church for a man she loves but we frequently fail to understand that a woman converting to Mormonism does potentially sacrifice a lot. the point is that even if the thoughts suggested by Konnie don't accurately represent reality--that there are Mormon women who marry/date successfully non-Mormon men as well as those who don't, the impression is there. that concerns me. why is it more believable to represent men converting women, or women giving up essential beliefs and assuming new ones for men than vice versa? amelia On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 14:16:15 -0600 Gerald G Enos wrote: > Ronn, > > Maybe stories with the member girl converting the non-member guy aren't > used that often because they are so full of problems. The only ladies I > know of that fell in love with a non-member either married and raised > their kids in a part-member home or he converted only to leave the church > latter on and the marriage ended in divorce. In fact of all the > marriages like this I can think of I only know of one that has not split > up. In that one she is less active and he might has well be baptized and > probably would if his mother wasn't so anti-mormon. On the other hand I > know stories that have happy endings that are boy converts girl so I can > believe that kind of story. Well what I am trying to say is that maybe > girl converts boy and marries him are harder stories to make beleiveable > because they don't happen very often. (Less often then the other way > around.) > > Konnie Enos - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 02:55:16 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) From: Amelia Parkin Subject: Re: [AML] Spiritual Pornography Rex Goode wrote: "Before that, the phrase, "the random porn images that fall into my line of sight" is confusing. Pornography, of the type you seem to be describing, never falls into my line of sight. I spend a large part of every day on the web, data processing and web development being both my vocation and avocation. Porn doesn't fall into my line of sight there. I never see it. I hear stories from people who did a search and clicked on a supposedly harmless link only to be exposed to disgusting images. With all the time I spend on the web, it has never happened to me. So, I find it rather confusing for someone to talk about happening on it by accident. Magazines don't fall on my desk from nowhere. I'm not making an accusation here, just trying to understand how random images fall into one's line of sight. Are you talking about accidents, or occasional partaking with your consent? An answer is not owed me, but it seems to me that the answer to this question has a great deal to do with the point of view you've expressed." Rex, I have to jump to Tony's (and anyone else who has claimed to accidently encounter porn) defense here. One night I spent the night at a friend's house, staying in her little brother's bedroom as he was away for the weekend (the reason for my staying with her in the first place; she hated staying alone in her apartment). When I went to bed that night I rolled over to place my book on the floor between the bed and window (so I wouldn't step on it when I got up) and discovered a copy of Penthouse or Playboy or something. I'm not sure what magazine it was because it was open to a double page spread of some rather disturbing and very pornographic images. accidental encounter with porn number 1. Last fall I was in a post-colonial lit class and was researching Chinua Achebe's book _Arrow of God_ (very good book; would recommend it to anyone interested in the nature of religion and human society). I did a web search for Chinua Achebe and _Arrow of God_ and came up with a list of a lot of hits. According to my usual practice, if the suggested site is not a book vender, includes the words of my search in their actual context, and looks potentially useful, I began to click on some of the sites. One, very clearly labeled as an Achebe website led me to a porn site. If you've ever encountered a porn site, whether accidentally or intentionally is irrelevant, you may know that they often do not let you go easily. you click on the "x" to close it and another pops up. and then another and then another. And often the navigation bar is not present (at least it wasn't for the three sites I happened upon while trying to find information about Achebe) so there's no quick-fix by hitting the back button. I had to break my internet connection to get rid of the sites. And they all had small but still highly offensive and pornographic images on them. Accidental encounter with porn number two. Accidental encouter number two has had repeats while researching _Angels in America_ and _Goblin Market_ (both of those are more understandable considering the subject matter of the first and the fact that the illustrations by Dante Gabriel Rossetti for the second were published in the 70s by Playboy but still, I had no idea that the links I was clicking on would lead to porn). Accidental encouters with porn number three and four. And one day, curious, I typed in www.amy.com (my nickname is amy; i did the same with amelia and came up with something innocent) and was taken to a porn site. luckily not many images popped up, mostly words, and I avoided seeing much that was too horrible. accidental encounter with porn number five. They all occurred in the last year. Not a lot but still they happened. simply because it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen. hope this helps you understand how random images may fall into one's line of sight. perhaps this is all irrelevant. perhaps not. there is something jarring to encountering images or words or representations of ideas or acts or beliefs that one holds sacred which are twisted and contorted until they are dehumanizing and demeaning. my encounters with porn made me nauseous. i do think that Tony has something of a point when he says that he has seen porn infrequently but he is exposed on a regular basis to cheapened representations of things sacred and spiritual in the form of Mormon pop culture (both church commissioned and independent). whether or not everyone would agree with him as to what representations are in fact cheap or tawdry is somewhat irrelevant. while we are all very busy talking about how the world inundates our minds and souls with images and words and music that causes damage, we fail to realize that some of the images and words and music coming from acceptable Mormon sources can also cause damage. As you point out, this is subjective. I can say what poses problems for me but I cannot say what will do so for you or anyone else. However, I am surrounded by members who openly decry all the filth coming from the world (some of which I don't believe is filth) while endorsing (if only tacitly through silence) all things Mormon (some of which i do believe is filth). it's the silence or surprise with which people respond when they find out i don't subscribe to the Ensign ($10/year; contains words of prophet) but do subscribe to Ms. ($60 for two years; contains words of strident feminists). it's the drawing of harsh black and white boundaries around what's acceptable and not simply based upon whether it's Mormon or not. I think what Tony is getting at is simply acknowledging the complexity of things spiritual and sexual. their humanity. that a simple lack of graphic sex does not make something good and pure. and, back to a line i started earlier, what happens when our spirit is jarred repeatedly and told that what is jarring it is actually good or acceptable? am I becoming spiritually numbed into the same kind of casual indifference towards religion and truth that many of my friends portray towards sex because they have been exposed to porn? it's at least worth thinking about. I agree with much that you said, too, but there's a lot to be valued in what Tony had to say. hope this doesn't sound too much like an attack--it's not. friends constantly tell me I sound like I'm on the attack when I'm actually just trying to engage in good discussion. amelia - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:17:22 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] Joseph Smith Story (was: Sunstone 2001) I attended two sessions at Sunstone, one of which I presented, which was = very uninteresting, and one I went to, which I found amazingly provocative.= It was by Gary Stewart, a fine playwright and screenwriter who's also a = sort of relative of mine (his wife and my mom are first cousins.) Anyway = Gary talked about how difficult it was for him to write his Joseph Smith = play, finally concluding that, for him, the task was an impossible one. = And I found myself wondering about this terrific notion; how does one = write about Joseph Smith? And here are some obvious (to me) pitfalls: 1) Kitchen sink 2) Stiff, starchy, pious 3) Non-volitional 4) A Star is Born The first pitfall, it seems to me, is to take the kitchen sink approach. = There's just so much stuff to write about, so much story, it's difficult = to pick and choose and any choice you make risks reductiveness. A play, = or a screenplay, or even a novel does need to be somewhat concise and = compressed. Gary mentioned Hamlet as the greatest character study in the = history of drama. But Hamlet is about a guy who sees a ghost--everything = else comes from that one fact. So if we're going to write about Joseph = Smith, we should find that one thing we can hang a story on: Joseph's = Ghost, so to speak. (Which would seem to locate the play in Palmyra.) = But it's so easy to say 'gosh, look at the bank failure in Kirtland. = Gotta put that in there. And Liberty Jail. Oh, and Zion's camp. Not to = mention that leg operation. And the chipped tooth tarring and feathering; = what a scene that'll make.' Another pitfall, a standard one for Mormons, is to make Joseph so pious he = becomes boring. That one seems inexcusable to me; Joseph was the most = dynamic, charismatic, exciting individual of the nineteenth century. When = I was in Nauvoo recently, I saw a little missionary musical they do in the = Visitor's Center there. The cast all played multiple roles. When it came = time for one of the kids to play Joseph, he immediately stiffened up, his = voice went all formal, his hand motions become very self-conscious. = Understandable, but the wrong choice when playing the Merry Prophet. =20 Third huge pitfall, and one which I'm very much afraid Crawford Gates is = falling into with his big new Joseph opera; you create a non-volitional = Joseph; a Joseph that doesn't make choices, he doesn't drive the action. = If Joseph is wholly reactive, then you've got the very definition of a = weak and uninvolving protagonist. Basic rule I teach my playwriting = students: a character that is done to is not interesting. A character = that does is interesting. If Joseph spends all his time waiting for = angels to tell him what to do next, then you've got a cipher at the center = of your story. =20 Fourth pitfall: A star is born. It's a very Hollywood story; the kid from = nowhere who rises to Become Somebody; then falls. I really think that = subconsciously we often structure the Joseph story in that particularly = familiar way. He was a poor kid from the upstate New York sticks, who is = picked out by a celestial talent scout and makes it in the big time . . . = until a vicious and incomprehensible mob does him in. (That's close to = what Andrew Lloyd Webber has done with a certain other religiously = inclined Joseph, except Webber gives him a happy ending.) =20 So these are major pitfalls, and that's before we get to the really tough = issues, the audience problem. Fact is, your target audience is going to = be LDS, and they don't want a warts-and-all Joseph. In fact, a sizeable = percentage of the LDS population doesn't know Joseph was involved with = polygamy, and doesn't want to hear it. (Interesting how much of mainstream= Mormonism has retreated to what was fifty years ago the standard RLDS = view.) My own brother told me a couple of weeks ago that, while Joseph = may have married polygamously, he certainly never cohabitated with any of = the other wives--he was busy marrying old widows so they could have some = financial security in their dotage. So you softpedal Nauvoo polygamy (for = example), and fundamentally falsify the story, or you tell it plainly and = clearly, and alienate most of your audience. =20 And that's not the only issue where that happens. How about that bank = failure? What about D&C 124, where the Lord seems to think a thorough = sleazeball like John C. Bennett is pretty much okay? What about all those = peepstone stories? Okay, you can softpedal some of that stuff, but all of = it? The more I think about it, the more I think Gary's right. We could write = about how someone else viewed Joseph--I've always wanted to tell Joseph's = story from Hyrum's perspective. (James Arrington has a wonderful play = that takes a kind of Rashomon approach to Joseph.) We could take the = semi-documentary approach the Church is leaning towards in recent films, = where you spend the whole film quoting old journals. (I like that = approach a lot, and think it's quite effective.) We could take what Tim = Slover has suggested: an ecstatic approach, quite stylized, in which we = celebrate Joseph's life as the Medieval mystery plays did the life of = Christ, with an emphasis on doctrine. (I'd like to try that one too.) = =20 But I wonder if it's even possible to really communicate who Joseph Smith = was dramatically. I can't help but think that any attempt will prove to = me so reductive it bear only the most tangential relationship to its = subject. And yet we keep trying, don't we? It's an itch we have to = scratch. But we can never seem to scratch it satisfactorily. Eric Samuelsen - - AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature http://www.xmission.com/~aml/aml-list.htm ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #431 ******************************